The office of Diana Salazar is simple. A desk and a round table with four chairs where investigators meet to decide the steps they will take until they find the tip of the ball of the assigned cases, that is it. Some of these cases have been as complicated as the castle of corruption Odebrecht built and, that has reached vice president Jorge Glas, former Comptroller General Carlos Polit, several former officials, and businesspeople. Salazar passionately believes that the success of an investigation is in planning. Zero improvisation.

That is why she demands her colleagues to set a goal from the beginning, define the hypotheses and trace the paths to reach the target. This methodology is known by Johnny Pallo, a law student who worked in the Office of the Attorney General. He is sure that Salazar’s tenacity and perfect resume are the cornerstones of her success.

At the age of 36, Salazar has struck hard against organized crime and transnational corruption. She led the team that found La Roca fugitives, the country’s highest security prison; she wiped up the network that illegally took tons of gold from the country and took charge of the FIFAGate case, which discovered the illegal business of Luis Chiriboga, who was the president of the Ecuadorian Soccer Federation.

A commitment to truth

The investigation against Luis Chiriboga caused that Salazar knew the media pressure and the threats. That is why she prefers to keep in reserve the names of her relatives, whom she owes time and dedication. That sacrifice, she says, is necessary because “the citizenship demands to know what public officials are doing.” And to fulfill that desire, the Unit of Transparency and Fight against Corruption was established. (I)